Searles Valley, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Searles Valley, California
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Searles Valley Soda Ash plant dominates the community (2007)
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Location in San Bernardino County and the state of California
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 Searles Valley, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | San Bernardino |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.494 sq mi (27.180 km2) |
| • Land | 10.494 sq mi (27.180 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,565 |
| • Density | 149.13/sq mi (57.579/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
93562
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| Area code(s) | 760 |
| FIPS code | 06-70728 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409296 |
Searles Valley is a small community located in the Mojave Desert in California, United States. It's in the northwestern part of San Bernardino County, California. It's called a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a special area used for counting people by the government.
Contents
About Searles Valley
Searles Valley is made up of a few smaller communities. These include Argus, Pioneer Point, the main town of Searles Valley, and Trona.
Where is Searles Valley?
Searles Valley is on the western edge of Searles Lake. This is a dry lakebed, which means it used to be a lake but now it's dried up. The valley is about 170 miles northeast of Los Angeles. You can reach it by taking State Route 178. It's also southwest of Death Valley. The towns of Ridgecrest and China Lake are to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Searles Valley covers about 10.5 square miles (27.2 square kilometers) of land. In 2010, about 1,739 people lived there. The ZIP code for the area is 93562, and the area code 760 is used for phone numbers.
Natural Features
Searles Lake is a dry lake that formed a long time ago. It dried up as lakes evaporated during the late Quaternary period. This dry lakebed is special because it has many valuable chemicals. These include things like borax and rock salt.
Searles Valley is known for being a bit isolated and having a unique landscape. Nearby, you can find the Trona Pinnacles. These are amazing natural towers made of a rock called tufa. There are over 500 of these spires, and some are as tall as 140 feet! They rise right out of the dry Searles Lake basin.
The name Trona comes from a mineral that is found in large amounts in the lake. Because of all the salt in the ground, the local school even has a dirt football field instead of grass!
Earthquakes in 2019
In July 2019, Searles Valley experienced a series of earthquakes. The biggest quakes happened about 7 to 11 miles west of the valley.
The first earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.0, struck on July 4 at 10:02 AM. It was just southwest of Searles Valley. A stronger earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.4, hit at 10:33 AM. This quake was felt across Southern California, including Los Angeles, and even in Nevada, like Las Vegas. It was about 6.5 miles deep. More than 100 smaller aftershocks followed in Searles Valley and nearby Ridgecrest, California.
Then, on Friday, July 5, 2019, an even bigger earthquake happened at 8:18 PM. This one had a magnitude of 7.1 and was considered the main earthquake in the series. Another smaller quake, with a magnitude of 3.9, occurred on July 22, 2019.
People of Searles Valley
The population of Searles Valley has been counted in different years. Here's a look at some of the information from the past.
Population in 2010
The 2010 United States Census showed that 1,739 people lived in Searles Valley. Most people lived in homes, not in group living situations.
There were 722 households in total. About 29.8% of these households had children under 18 living there. Many households were made up of married couples. The average household had about 2.41 people. The average family size was about 3.01 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 25.1% of the people were under 18 years old. About 15.8% were 65 years or older. The average age in Searles Valley was 40.7 years.
Most homes were owned by the people living in them (60.8%). The rest were rented. The census also reported that the average income for a household in Searles Valley was $32,448. About 21.7% of the people lived below the poverty line.
Population in 2000
In the 2000 United States Census, there were 1,885 people living in Searles Valley. There were 738 households and 495 families.
About 30.9% of the population was under 18 years old. About 10.7% were 65 years or older. The average age was 36 years.
The average income for a household was $35,833. For families, it was $37,143. About 21.4% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 33.0% of those under 18.
Images for kids
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Piles of lime dust sit just south of Trona on the Trona Railway.
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Entrance to Trona.
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Searles Valley from the Searles Valley rest stop.
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A dust storm forms over the dry Searles Lake bed, taken from the Searles Valley rest stop.
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A Mountain Monogram "T" sits on the hills above Trona.
See also
In Spanish: Searles Valley para niños
